Sky introduce Amber Stocks as new head coach
Winning a championship gives a player credibility, panache.
It does the same thing for a coach.
It's certainly one of the reasons Michael Alter was attracted to Amber Stocks. When the Chicago Sky owner began to look for a new head coach last month, he put championship experience near the top of his wish list.
Stocks was an assistant coach last season for the Los Angeles Sparks, who won the 2016 WNBA championship after winning just 14 of 34 games in the previous season.
On Tuesday, Alter introduced Stocks as the Sky's new head coach, replacing Pokey Chatman, who was not retained after six seasons in Chicago.
“We are extremely excited to hand over the leadership of the team to Amber,” Alter said. “(She) brings a youthful, positive energy along with a wealth of basketball knowledge.
“She brings essential experience from assisting the evolution of the Los Angeles Sparks from contenders to champions.”
Stocks, who played college ball at Cincinnati and got her most extensive coaching experience as an assistant at Xavier for seven seasons, is excited for a homecoming of sorts.
“As a native of the Midwest, I feel fortunate to return to the region with my family,” Stocks said. “I look forward to sharing my passion for basketball with this talented team of true professionals. I am excited to build on the recent momentum and grow our team's success.”
Stocks has no head coaching experience, and that fact was not lost on Alter. But as he got to know Stocks more, he worried about that less.
“Amber certainly started out as a longshot,” Alter said. “But the first time I spoke with her and as she moved through the process she continued to stand out and impress us and her star just kept rising and rising.
“Any time you make a hire, there's a risk involved and certainly this is the case here (due to Stocks' lack of head coaching experience), but it's a risk that we're extremely comfortable with. We have a very strong belief in Amber and think she is a perfect candidate for our team.”